Decision Time Need Your Opinions

[TJMIV]

When I bought my truck , I went to get a 2500 but none close by & was going to cost me more to get one brought in @ the time , so I went with the 3500. It's been a great truck & no problems to this point. Honestly I don't work the truck hard enough to justify 6 wheels on the ground. My helpers complain of not being able to see most of the boats that we tow to & from the lake. Another problem crops up when we vacation anywhere in the mountains, you guessed it , parking in most places are a PITA. Because of this most of the time we take my wifes Mountaineer. Have also strongly considered an auto , but all of the trucks I have owned have been stickshift & no problems with anything other than the ocassional clutch job. It's hard to get away from what you know works, but an auto would be easier on the boat ramps. One of my concerns is mileage the other is dependability. A friend of mine that had the exact same truck as mine until a head-on collision totaled the rig 5 weeks ago, just took delivery of an 04. 5 3500 SRW LB. He had it a week and already had put 1,670 miles on it & he said the ride is waybetter & he really likes the auto. At this point we average less than 20% of our mileage towing. Sorry for such a long post , but I want to hear from people who have had both, & please tell it like it is. TIA TJMIV

 

[fj40dave]

Sold my '01 2500 with the 47RE... . track record for that transmission - when left stock - isn't up to my expectations for hauling our camper and towing the 4x4 on the car trailer. New owner will never be doing anything like that, so no worries. (I had put on the MagHyTech Double Deep pan).



Our new 3500 DRW 6sp 4x4 will handle the camper and trailer/4x4 quite sufficently I feel. (325/600 )

 

[Pawpaw]

Since this is my first CTD, I can't comment on the DRW. Your friend is right about the ride and handling though. My wife falls asleep every time we hit the highway. Not a completely bad thing!



So far, there are very few serious complaints on this site about the 48RE transmission. It appears to be holding up pretty well, so far.



The 3rd Gens are very quiet too. I get comments all the time from people walking through parking lots. Mine's not even the 600 which is supposed to be even quieter.



I would not feel like I missed anything with an '01 or any other model year CTD, but life is too short to settle for less than what makes you happy.

 

[TGreschuk]

After a 10 week wait, i just received my 04. 5 2500, 4x4 auto,short box, quad cab 600. I traded in my 03 3500,4x4, auto, quad, dually, I must admit if first impressions stick, I'm gonna love this new truck. Like you, my towing was extremely infrequent and i bought the 3500 cuz i liked it. However, without those extra 2 wheels and with a shorter box this thing is like driving a go-Kart I only have 100 miles on it but i can't get used to looking in my mirrors and not seeing those fenders! The new truck is a breeze to wheel in and out of parking spots and does this thing ever haul ass!

T

 

[bmoeller]

For me, the parking thing isn't any big deal. I have to find the same size hole with the '86. Turning radius is the same between the two trucks.



I have Bestop towing mirrors, so backing things aren't as bad as they were with the stock electric 6x9s. I can see the fenders pretty well.



My other complaint with the DRW, is the fenders making it hard to get at things out of the box from the side. I have a flatbed to install, so that will be pretty much null and void.



Ride, I haven't driven a 3/4t diesel SRW Ram. I know the 1/2t ride nice, but that isn't a fair comparison. I know my Ram rides much better than my old Ford.



I like towing tag trailers MUCH better with the DRW. Less of a tail wagging effect on the trucks. Handles much better.



With exception to spring and fall when we are in the field, the truck mostly a highway princess. Most of my towing is low speed with farm equipment. Would I buy a dually again, YES.

 

[Matt400]

Originally posted by TJMIV

I want to hear from people who have had both, & please tell it like it is.

I haven't owned both but my work requires road testing both if that counts.



My current Short Bed is a little too short when hauling the motorcycles and pulling the TT at the same time. With no trailer I would just leave the tail gate down, but with the trailer I can't do that and have to remove the gate.



The QC option is something I have grown to like very fast having owned regular cabs for many years. A Dually with QC means a long bed also and that would be just too long for my liking.

I have always disliked trucks with a big turning radius and that was the reason I stuck with reg cabs but my new truck turns in the same radius as a long bed regular cab yet seats 3 more people!



I don't care for the Dually when it comes time to purchase or rotate tires, having custom wheels and doing rotations is a pain also. I had a dually class C motor home that I used simulators on.



They do have their purpose though for sure being more stable with big loads and all and they look real HD but for my needs it would have been overkill.

If I needed more safety I would consider 19. 5's and a HD sway bar before giving up the turning radius.

 

[GFritsch]

Old 3/4 ton LB std cab 5 speed

New 1 ton DRW quad cab 6 speed



I am actually amazed how easily I have adapted to the extra width and length. I make it a habit to park all my vehicles far enough away to keep the door dings down. The 6 speed is awesome, although it takes some getting used to finding gears after coasting in neutral.



As far as pulling up the boat ramp I have found using 1st gear pulls very easy. Stay on the brake until you feel the clutch taking the load, ease of the brake and idle right up the ramp.



As far as mileage 1st tank = 15mpg 2nd tank = 16. 5 3rd tank = 18. 04 4th tank = 19. 5. Last two tanks driving very conservative. It is my feeling the stick will get you 1-2 mpg increase.



Greg

 

[BGParks]

I have an 04. 5 Ram 2500 SLT 600 4x4 quad cab long bed. Just got back from vacation - - 8,500 mi. in 3 wks. in complete comfort. The ride quality is excellent. I drove a 3500 dually when I bought my truck and didn't like the harsh ride or the fender girth. Also have the automatic. I am happy with the transmission but I do think that the stick probably does a better job of putting all the torque to the ground under all conditions. The 600 is very quite and quite powerful for a truck that hasn't been moded in any way. I also pull a boat and visibility in the mirrors is great (especially with the swiveling mirror heads, from normal to trailer towing mode). I love mine, absolutely no complaints.

 

[TJMIV]

Thanks to all who read & replied to my post , @ this point & from what I'm reading I may just keep what I've got. It's only got 43,500 miles on it, shucks it should be good for @ least 10 times that amount. Think I'll go ahead & install the 4" exhaust, the Pro-Gaurd 7 , a set of EDM-2's , & the F. A. S. S. to keep things pumped up, & that way I'll be even or a little ahead of the stock 04. 5 , besides my taxes are starting to drop & I've gotten used to the insurance, maybe that will offset the fact that I don't like to buy 6 tires @ a time . Oo.

 

[Po' Riggity]

I test drove the 3500 and wasnt liking the width and girth, but then again, I don't need it either. . I ended up in my 2500 QC long bed 4x4, nd couldnt be happier. . I love the 6 spd as well.

Scott